Second Chance
by fiveohlove
Summary: All Kono wanted was a second chance in her marriage. (Re-upload)
1. Chapter One

_A/N: Aloha! Y'all still out there? For a while, I lost interest in this fandom, and I'm sure you all know why. But, I'm back! I don't know if it's for good, but it's for now. _

_This is an old story that I deleted before, but I revamped it, and decided to re-upload it. I'm actually planning a new story, but I don't know when I'll have it up. I just haven't had the time to write it yet. Check back on my profile for updates. I might even pick up where I left off in '__What Should Have Been'_ _one day soon, but no promises! __Anyway, missed you all tons._

_No beta was harmed in the re-making of this fic; thus, any errors are mine._

* * *

Steve looked at his alarm clock, which read 3:09 a.m. He had been trying to fall asleep for hours, but his mind refused to let him rest. He had gotten into another argument with his wife earlier that evening, who stormed out of his house in a turmoil of emotions after they failed to reconcile.

He rubbed his face with his palm and sat up; he had so many mixed feelings in his chest. Wearing nothing but grey sweatpants (which, in addition, hung low on his defined hip bones), he got out of bed and placed of his Navy crew neck T-shirts on before heading downstairs to the living room.

As he sat on the single sofa chair, he propped his elbows on his knees before covering his face with his hands. Danny, who was sleeping on his couch, began talking through his blanket. "I take it you can't sleep, either."

"Yes, but for a far more _legitimate_ reason than yours, clearly. I can't sleep because my wife and I are fighting; you can't sleep with the waves crashing, which I still find _weird_."

Danny's blanket was now pushed down, an annoyed expression coming across his face. "Hey," he began with his usual hand gestures. "I'm telling you, it's a _torturous_ sound."

Laughing softly, Steve shook his head, elbows still propped on his knees. "Whatever, Danny. I'm going to go for a run or something, maybe sit out on the beach for a bit. Go to sleep." He grabbed the remote and turned on the TV, changing the channel to an infomercial before walking out to the lanai. "Thanks, babe," Danny smiled before throwing his blanket back over his head.

After spending a few hours running and surfing to clear his head, he returned only to find his house empty. The sun had barely just risen, but Danny was already up and gone to pick Grace up. Steve made himself some coffee (which tasted _horrible_ considering Kono was always the one who made the coffee), then headed for the shower.

With nothing else better to do, he decided to head to work early. As soon as he got out of his blue Silverado pickup and began walking toward the building entrance, a large, masked man snatched him in open daylight and restrained him tightly by the arms, pressing a drugged cloth against his mouth and nose.

As soon as he fainted, another masked man dragged him into a black SUV. Before anyone else could arrive, they immediately sped off.

That morning just couldn't get any better for him.

...

As Chin walked to the touchscreen table computer, he noticed his cousin shuffling through the massive pile of papers in front of her with a furious look on her face, causing him to stop in his tracks.

Just as he whipped open her office door, she grumbled in frustration as she combed her fingers through her tousled hair. It was obvious she didn't get much sleep.

Kono looked up at him, his eyebrow raised with concern. She rolled her eyes and scoffed. "It's nothing."

He continued to keep his eyebrow raised while he sat down in one of her office chairs. She gestured her hands in front of her. "I just seemed to have misplaced some paperwork."

He wasn't convinced.

He leaned forward and placed his elbows on his knees. "You suck at lying to me, you know that?"

She rolled her eyes and flailed her arms in defeat. "Alright, fine," she began as she leaned back into her chair. "My _wonderful_ husband and I got into another fight last night."

"Should've guessed it was about Steve," he nodded as he also leaned back into his chair. "What did you two fight about this time?"

"He can't look after Hannah this weekend, and this is the third time in the last two months that he has to cancel on his own daughter."

Chin's eyes suddenly went wide. "What was his excuse?"

"Something about the Governor assigning him to something," she huffed. "I don't know. I choose to ignore his bullshit excuses."

"Well, it's obviously important, right?" He tried to reason with her.

"Whatever. He's the one always complaining that he doesn't get enough time with her. It's _his_ fault."

He chuckled and shook his head. "When are you two going to get along again?"

"When he stops doing shit that pisses me off," she exclaimed in a heavy tone. "I swear, I'm going to divorce his ass one of these days."

Just before he could speak again, he heard Danny panicking in the hallway. He looked out of her office window to find him walking rapidly toward Kono's office. Danny abruptly opened her office door and motioned them to follow him to the touchscreen table computer. Chin quickly snapped his head back to look at Kono, who was equally concerned and confused. They simultaneously got up from their chairs and hurriedly followed their teammate out of her office.

As they gathered around the touchscreen table computer, Danny set his phone down on the screen and turned on the speaker. "Trace the call," he mouthed silently to Chin. Chin nodded and obeyed as Danny continued to speak. "What do you want from me?"

"Your cooperation, Detective Williams, if you want to see your precious Commander McGarrett again," the woman on the other side of the phone snarled. "We want to do a trade. Kaleo for McGarrett. You have one hour. If you don't comply, the Commander _will_ die."

The woman abruptly hung up the phone, leaving them with shocked faces. "Did she just say that they have Steve?" Kono asked in panic.

"Hey, hey, it's going to be okay," Chin reassured as he hugged her chastely but sincerely. "I was able to trace to call," he continued as he looked toward Danny. "He's being held at Kewalo Basin."

Danny was already walking toward the exit. "Alright, let's go."

...

"What do you think you're doing? Chin asked as he noticed Kono strapping on her Kevlar.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Kono questioned with a confused look on her face as she buckled the last strap into place. "I'm going in after him."

"No, you're not," he said as he yanked her 3913 Ladysmith out of her hand and handed it to one of the HPD officers standing alongside them. "You're staying behind."

As she opened her mouth to speak, he cut her off almost immediately. "Don't event try to argue your way into this one. We both know you're safer if you stay out of this."

She turned her head away from him, desperately trying to hold back her frustration and tears.

"Come on, cuz," he continued as he grabbed her chin to make her look at him. "You know Steve will kill Danny and I if anything happened to you."

She couldn't help the tears that were now leaking freely from the corners of her eyes. She knew he was right; she would do everything impulsively, and doing so would endanger her and the rest of the team, not to mention Steve.

"Bring him back to me, Chin," she murmured with difficulty.

Scrunching his face sympathetically, he pulled her into his arms as she soaked his shirt with her tears. "I will, Kono," he sighed with his eyes closed. "I will." Chin let Kono go and smiled at her before walking toward Danny and the group of SWAT officers who were joining them in the raid.

As the men lined up for position, Danny turned around to face Kono, adjusting his Kelvar. "You know he's okay in there." Kono just nodded, not meeting his gaze.

"Hey," he said softly as he bent his head to meet her eyes. "We'll get him out, alright?"

Kono looked at him and nodded again. "Okay," she cracked.

Tears continued to fall down her face as she watched them move in a low crouch toward the warehouse. _Please be okay, baby,_ she hoped inwardly. _Please be okay._

...

After licking the blood from inside his mouth, Steve spat toward his attacker after getting a punch to the face. "You'll _never_ get Kaleo," he murmured.

"Yes, we _will_, Commander," laughed the woman who stood before him. "Detective Williams knows that we will kill you and _every_ single member of his precious family and team until we get what we want, and that includes _your_ lovely daughter and wife."

Shuttering at her words, he began wiggling around in his chair, trying to free himself from the bounds that held him. "Oh, did I push a button, Commander?" she said as she walked toward him and gripped his neck in a powerful hold. Before she could speak again, Five-0 and SWAT bombarded the warehouse, approaching the suspects with their guns raised.

As soon as the suspects realized that Kaleo wasn't among the officers, one of their men drew his gun to shoot at Steve, who was now standing on his weakened feet while being restrained by the woman.

"No, no, no, no, no!" Danny panicked as he turned his attention to the shooter. "Don't!"

The trigger was pulled and the bullet sped toward Steve's abdomen. Steve fell backwards as the woman let him go and began shooting at the officers.

While the officers and suspects shot at each other, Chin and Danny ran to Steve's aid. Chin called for an ambulance while Danny unbound Steve's wrists then pressed onto his wound as he called out his name repeatedly, attempting to keep him awake. "Come on, babe, stay with me!"

As Steve's eyes began to shut, he saw images of his daughter and the life he lived before. He saw his wife and how happy he once made her. He then managed to mumble one last thing before losing his battle with consciousness.

"_Kono_."


	2. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

As soon as the guns went off from inside the warehouse, a wave of panic rushed through Kono's body. She desperately wanted to run in after them, but just as her foot began to lift up off the ground, she felt a surprisingly strong hand grasp her arm. She slightly turned her head to see a rookie HPD officer standing stoically behind her.

"Detective McGarrett, you can't go in there," the officer begged. "_Please_, I don't want to have to cuff you to your car door handle."

She turned her head completely to look at him fully, frustration showing in her eyes. "You're kidding me, right?" she began with an annoyed tone. "My husband is in obvious danger and you all really expect me to just _stand_ here?"

"I'm sorry," he continued, his eyes now pleading. "I had strict orders from Lieutenant Kelly to restrain you-"

"I don't give a fuck what he said," she snapped, interrupting him. "Let me go."

After he reluctantly let her arm go, she began to run toward the warehouse while drawing her spare gun and holding it ready. She was halfway to the entrance when ambulance sirens began to wail from a distance. She stopped in her tracks and turned her halfway toward the direction of the sirens.

Two ambulances suddenly appeared from around the bend. Her eyes began to water as she sighed painfully. "Please don't turn, _please don't turn_," she muttered under her breath.

As the ambulances turned into the parking lot where the squad cars were clustered, she abruptly lowered her gun and heaved. Still dead in her tracks, she watched shockingly as the back doors of both ambulances simultaneously swung open and out jumped a number of white uniformed men who hustled into the warehouse, carrying tons of equipment and dragging gurneys behind them.

A SWAT officer came out to meet the medics. "We're going to need three body bags, too," he said adamantly, causing Kono to shake her head in disbelief. "No," she gasped, her breath beginning to hitch as tears now ran freely down her face.

"Kono!" Danny shouted as he came running out of the warehouse, blood stained all over his hands.

As she noticed the blood, she began to step back in horror and utter shock. "No!" she screamed as she dropped down to her knees. He pulled her back up and into his arms, hugging her tightly as she breathed a sob and fought his hold on her body.

"He's not dead! He's not dead!" he assured her as he tried to calm her down.

She pulled her head back and looked at Danny before breaking free from his hold and running toward the warehouse once again, where one of the gurneys was now being rushed out. She froze and noticed a familiar body sprawled on it-a familiar, _unconscious_ body.

"Steve!"

She ran up to the gurney where her husband laid. "Steve?" she cried out to him as she helped push the gurney toward the ambulance. "Steve, baby? Wake up!"

She locked eyes with one of the medics, who couldn't help but look at her sympathetically. "What happened?" Kono asked hoarsely, her voice cracking with emotion.

Just as she was about to get an answer, she heard her cousin from behind her, stopping her just before she reached the ambulance. "He was shot in the abdomen."

As the paramedics lifted Steve into the ambulance, Kono turned around to Chin, heavy tears still streaming down her cheeks. Unable to find any words, she shook her head and breathed another sob. He held onto her upper arms and sighed.

Just as he was about to speak, one of the medics interrupted him. "We need to get going," he said sweetly but urgently.

Chin placed a gentle palm under her chin and turned her face back to him. "Go. I'll follow in my car," he ordered her calmly. "I'll tell Danny to pick Hannah up from preschool and meet us at the hospital."

He quickly helped her up the ambulance before the paramedic shut the doors. He bowed his head and sighed before lifting his gaze again to watch the ambulance speed off.

...

_Kono scrambled to fetch her jacket and purse and scurried toward the front door. Just as she opened the door, however, Steve appeared beside her and slammed it back shut. "Why do you _always_ leave when I want to talk to you?"_

"_What's the point of me staying?" Kono snapped heatedly. "We can never hold a civil discussion!"_

_He closed his eyes and sighed before taking her jacket and purse from her hands and throwing them onto the couch. "Kono, baby, _please_," he began softly as he reached for her hands, cupping them in his own and gently running his thumbs over her knuckles. "Can we just stop fighting for a second?"_

_Frowning hugely, she turned her head away, tears beginning to form in her eyes. He gently touched her face and turned her to look at him, his thumbs now stroking her cheeks. As he began leaning his head toward her, she froze. She should have stopped him right then, but she didn't. Instead, she let him kiss her. He kissed her softly at first, then deeper, full of hunger, lust, and need._

_As his tongue began to work its way into her mouth, she pulled away and stepped back, wiping his saliva off her lips._

"_Steve," she groaned frustratingly. "You can't just kiss me and expect everything to be better!"_

_Still wearing a shocked expression, he wiped his hands over his face before turning toward the couch and plopping down, covering his face with his palms and sighing deeply. "I know," he muttered, his elbows now propped on his knees. "I just didn't know what else to do."_

"_Steve, I'm tired of this," she huffed. "If you can't find time for your daughter, then you shouldn't be allowed to see her at all."_

_He suddenly stood up, his face warped into anger. "What the fuck are you trying to say? You're going to keep me from seeing _my_ kid?"_

_Kono continued to argue, her voice rising. "_Your_ kid? How could she be your kid when you're hardly around?"_

"_I'm just doing my job!" he yelled back impatiently. "You act like I'm neglecting you both on purpose! It's not like I'm cheating on you!"_

"_You're right. You spend nights in hospitals after doing something reckless and stupid instead."_

_He rolled his eyes and threw his hands up in exasperation. "Oh, here we go."_

"_Our daughter is turning five, Steve! She's practically growing up without you! How do you think it feels to tell your child that she can't live with her father because he's self-centered and selfish?"_

"_Is this even about Hannah anymore?" he groaned._

_Although her mouth remained closed, her thoughts were readable. The expressions on her face were clearly angry and unforgiving, her jaw clenching spasmodically._

"_All I ever did was love you, Kono," he muttered. "You act like I don't."_

_She was now grabbing her jacket and purse and placing her hand on the door handle again. "If you really loved me, you'd prioritize our marriage instead of _asking_ for more cases, as if we don't already have enough going on."_

_Almost in tears, he croaked, "Work has _nothing_ to do with my love for you."_

"_Funny, doesn't feel like that to me."_

_He raised his eyebrows and looked at her with confusion. "It sounds like _you_ are the one who doesn't love _me_ anymore."_

_She suddenly felt a lump in her throat as she looked into his eyes. "You're right, I don't."_

A soothing voice interrupted her thoughts, snapping her back to reality. "Kono?"

She opened her eyes and tilted her head up to find Chin standing beside her and looking down at her with his hand resting reassuringly on her shoulder. He then joined her on the floor of the hospital waiting room where she was sitting, awaiting word regarding Steve's surgery. "You okay, cuz?"

"No," she cracked, looking at him as he placed a hand on one of her arms that was resting on her knees. "What if he doesn't make it?"

He shook his head as if to keep her from speaking any further. "Don't start talking that way."

She continued, her eyes beginning to moisten. "What if he doesn't? I regret everything, Chin. I just want a second chance with him. I don't want the last thing I say to him to be that I don't love him. I won't be able to forgive myself."

He doesn't say anything. Instead, he grabbed her head and rested it on his shoulder, placing a chaste kiss on her forehead and smoothing his thumb over her hair. Kono closed her eyes and silently wept.

"Mommy!"

She lifted her head back up and opened her drenched eyes, catching a glimpse of Hannah appearing from the corner of the hallway and walking toward them, with Danny and Grace just right behind her.

"Hannah," she called out to her daughter as she held her arms out for her. Hannah ran into her arms, hugging her neck tightly. Kono closed her eyes as she held Hannah's head delicately and hugged her back closely.

Hannah let her mother go as she sat on her lap. "Where's daddy? Is he going to be okay?" Her sky blue eyes met Kono's troubled brown ones. Kono tried her hardest not to cry. "Of course daddy is going to be okay. He's daddy," she said with a smile that was obviously forced.

Hannah noticed her mother's upset features. "Are _you_ going to be okay, mommy?"

"I'm fine, baby."

"Lying is bad, mommy," the four-year-old advised. "You're lying to me."

Kono chuckled. "I'm not lying, baby," she assured her. "I really am okay, and daddy's going to be okay, too. We're all going to be okay."

She cradled Hannah's head against her shoulder and looked at Chin then up at Danny with so much pain in her eyes. She sighed then rested her head against Hannah's, a tear dropping onto Hannah's head.

...

As Kono walked back to the private room, she found Hannah sitting all the way back in her chair, her little feet dangling and swinging above the floor. She was talking to her father, who was just brought out of surgery and was still unconscious. Kono stood behind the door frame as she listened in.

"We had show-and-tell today," Hannah said in an upbeat voice. "I brought Hoppy. Everyone loved him." Kono smiled as she remembered the day Steve surprised Hannah with a rabbit. She had never seen her daughter look so thrilled as that day when she jumped into her father's arms and squealed.

Her little hand then took a hold of his. "Daddy, you need to wake up now. You need to take care of mommy. She's not okay, even though she says she is. You're the only one who can make her feel better."

Kono covered her mouth to cry as she was unable to hold her tears back. She then swiftly wiped the tears from her face and exhaled deeply before entering the room.

Hannah turned around as she heard her mother's footsteps coming toward her. "Hi, mommy. I was just talking to daddy." Kono bent down to her level and rest a hand on her chair, placing a kiss on her daughter's cheek. Her eyes prickling with tears once again, she tried her best to hold them in. She smiled and asked, "What were you telling him?"

"I was telling him that I miss him, and that Uncle Chin is not as fun to play with as him."

Kono chuckled. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. I was telling him that you miss him, too."

Kono looked at Steve then looked back at Hannah, a tear falling down her cheek. Hannah wiped it away then looked at Kono with a pout. "Mommy, you're crying."

"I'm okay," she nodded as she moved her hand from the chair to Hannah's thigh. Hannah hopped out of her chair and hugged her mother tightly from the side, Kono holding onto her tiny arms as they enveloped around her.

"Listen, baby," Kono began as she broke their hug, her hands now holding onto Hannah's tiny ones. "I need to be alone with daddy. Can you go play with Grace for a while?"

"Are you going to be okay, mommy?"

"Yes, baby, I'll be fine. Give me a kiss," she said, tapping her lips with her finger. Hannah kissed Kono chastely on her lips before holding her arms out to her mother, asking her to lift her up without words. Kono then lifted Hannah up and held her in her arms as she kissed her father's lips. "I love you, daddy. I'll show you the drawing I made for you later."

Kono set her daughter back on the ground and watched her skip out of the room before sitting herself on the chair next to his bed. She sat there still for a moment before grabbing his hand and stroking it gently. She sniffed as she began to feel tears sting her eyes.

"Squeeze my hand if you can hear me, okay?" she requested as she looked at his immobile body. "Baby, I'm a little over my head here. Hannah's right. I'm not okay. I'm not okay because you're not okay." She paused for a second before continuing, tears now falling rapidly down her face. "I need you to wake up, baby. I need you to talk to me. I need you to forgive me."

She lifted his idle hand toward her lips and kissed it softly, soaking it with her tears. "Please open your eyes, Steve. _Please._ _Aloha au ia 'oe_."

Just as she dropped her head down, she felt his hand squeeze hers lightly. She gasped as she quickly glanced up to see Steve attempting to open his eyes. "Kono…" he breathed, swallowing his dry throat.

Still holding onto his hand, she watched him open his eyes. As soon as he opened them and looked at her, she laughed, her face shining with joy. She sprung out of her chair to kiss his forehead hard. "God, you scared me," she whispered as she rested her forehead against his, her breath hitching and shuddering. Steve grasped Kono's hand that was cupping his neck and turned his head to the side as she kissed his forehead again. "Oh, my God…" she sighed into his hair.

Hannah then entered the room and noticed that he was finally awake. "Daddy?"

Steve slowly turned his head toward her and smiled a weak smile, his eyes moist. "Hey, sweetheart," he smiled back as he leaned his head back against his pillow.

"Daddy!" she smiled as she ran up to her parents. Kono picked her up and sat her down on Steve's bed. Steve pulled her into a tight embrace, Hannah immediately hugging him back. Kono smiled as she watched her daughter and husband embrace, her hand stroking his hair off his forehead. "I should get the doctor."

"No," he breathed as he looked into her eyes. "I just want it to be you and me and our daughter for a minute."

She cupped his face in her hands and pulled it toward her. "Okay," she murmured before kissing his lips gently.

At that very moment, she took back the anger, the bad times.

At that very moment, she loved him.

At that very moment, she was getting her second chance.

* * *

_Aloha au ia 'oe - I love you_


End file.
